Sakurajima volcano erupts, ash from crater reaches 5,500 m

A plume of ash spewed from the volcano's 1,040-meter Minamidake summit crater in the 5:24 p.m. eruption, reaching about 5.5 kilometers into the sky, the agency said, warning that volcanic activity may continue for some time.

An eruption of a similar scale at the volcano last occurred in July 2016.